Am I submitted??

On what is our faith anchored?

Is it on a church leader, or on the Lord Jesus himself?

To what extend do we submit to church leadership and is there a point where we do not? Is it okay to question leadership, or does that make you a backslider, a rebel, or division-creator? To answer these questions one has to take a look at what our faith is truly to be grounded upon. Is it church-leader, or is it Jesus Himself?

There are many arguments out that talk about not questioning the “Man of God”, but is this attitude in the church really biblically warranted? Is it supported by God or is it a creation of human need for control over one another? In the New Testament Church, there is a new paradigm that is introduced. Jesus says in Matthew, after a long bashing of the practice of the religious leaders of His day, followed by more cursing of their practices, and instructs His disciples that “You are not to be called rabbi, for you have one teacher and you are all brothers. And call no man your father on earth, for you have one Father, who is in heaven. Neither be called instructors, for you have one instructor, the Christ. The greatest among you shall be your servant.” (Matthew 23: 8-11)

What does this mean? The Bible does clearly set up expectation for leadership in God’s household, the church.  What then should be the attitude of the church and leadership? Biblical mandate of submission to authority has a limit. Romans 13:1-7 discusses the need to submit to governmental or civic authorities. But does this fit for the house of God? And is there any condition in which one should, in fact, not submit to authorities? The answer to that question is one: You obey authority unless it contradicts, hinders, or gets in the way of you obeying God as revealed in Scripture.

The early church had such an example. When confronted by their authorities, in which their law mandated that they obey, with full respect and boldness, these disciples responded: “Whether it is right in the sight of God to listen to you rather than to God, you must judge, for we cannot but speak of what we have seen and heard.” (Acts 4:19-20) Is it right to obey authority ordained by God or to disobey? Only when the obedience of the law of the land, or religious authority conflicts with the message of God as revealed in Scripture.

IT IS ALL ABOUT JESUS

Jesus is the focus of Christianity. Nothing else. Not wealth. Not “higher living”. Not “better life”; or even your “best life”. The Word of God makes you wise for salvation only when that Word is tied directly to putting one’s faith in the work of Christ Jesus. If what is done does not directly tie back to the Lordship of Christ Jesus, and Him being honored in the situation, than even the scripture used to validate a practice is null and void. We obey civic authority for the honor and fame of Jesus on the earth. We honor and heed our church leadership to the point that they point our attention to the Lord Jesus and not ourselves.

It all must begin an end with Christ Jesus as those who profess following Him. The centrality of Scripture is about Jesus, not us. (Luke 24: 27) Therefore to the point that our activities bring dishonor to the Lord Jesus is the point that the activities must cease.

OKAY TO QUESTION?

Is it okay to question authority? Does that make one in rebellion? The answer to that depends on motivation. Is what authority doing questionable? Is it truly honoring Jesus or the establishment of an individual’s personal agenda? What does scripture teach? Question EVERYTHING; get it, test it, prove it, confirm it. “But test everything; hold fast what is good.” (1 Thessalonians 5:21)

The Jews in Berea were commended as being “more noble than those in Thessalonica”, for they examined “the Scriptures daily to see if these things were so.” And as a result of this investigation, true faith was the result (Acts 17: 11-12). Therefore, being intellectually honest is a virtue that God Himself advocates. If you truly believe on the Lord Jesus, than Jesus says you are given His Spirit, the Helper who “will guide you into all the truth, for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak, and He will declare to you the things that are to come..” (John 16:13)

If questioning is a virtue that establishes faith when the seeker is truly honest with what they search for, what is the role of the minister or pastor? The weight of the church leader’s authority is contingent upon the agenda of that person in relationship to serving Jesus. (Hebrews 13:7)

MAN OF GOD

What is the Biblical role of the “man of God”? In the Old Testament, the man of God was one whom the LORD called to speak to His people. This was often referred to of a prophet, or a “seer” (according to 1 Samuel 9:9-10). The role of the prophet was to speak God’s message to His people; to spur repentance from a fallen people, to remind people who God is and to turn their hearts back to Him. But is this same weight of significance today?

The author to the book of Hebrews puts things in perspective: “Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days He has spoken to us by His Son, whom He appointed the heir of all things, through whom also He created the world.” (Hebrews 1:1-2)

Jesus is the head, and we are all brothers and sisters under His authority. “For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men (i.e. peoples), the man Christ Jesus.” (1 Timothy 2:5) Hebrews 8 discusses in further detail how Christ is now our priest, for no man alone is sufficient to stand between people and God; no one that is except the God-Man, Jesus Christ.

Today, the “man of God” refers to the servant of Jesus, who does all for the name and fame of the Lord Jesus. If Jesus is not honored, revered, and otherwise put on a pedestal because of this servant, than is that “man of God” really so? The life and qualifications of a Man of God is one who lives for the fame of Jesus. That means communicating what Jesus taught, speaking what Jesus says, instructing what Jesus commands. Jesus is the center of everything, and therefore, the role of the “Man of God” is quite different than in the Old Testament. In the Old Testament, the man of God spoke the very words of God. Today, God has spoken; the man of God simply expounds and exhorts others towards Jesus.

WHAT IS BIBLICAL SUBMISSION?

In Ephesians 5, the Apostle Paul exhorts Jesus’ followers to walk in love for a purpose. He says to submit “to one another out of reverence for Christ.” (Ephesians 5:21) He then spells out how submission should work in the household: Husbands submit to Christ, wives submit to husbands, husbands to nurture and care for wife, and children are to submit to their parents in Christ. (Ephesians 5:22-6:4) Biblical Submission is again anchored in Christ, not in the inherent position of the person in authority. Colossians 3:12-17 gives another example of godly submission one to another out of reverence to Christ Jesus.

The purpose of all of this is to establish that proper authority is authority under Christ Jesus. It is not based up on any other individual; Christ trumps them, hands down! Jesus is a better priest than the Old Testament priests who stood between God and the people. Jesus is a better Judge than the rulers of the Old Testament who lead the civic government, for only He is the Righteous One. Jesus is the Better Shepherd, for he genuinely cares for, and keeps your very soul. Simply put, Jesus is Better (not to be cliché-ish).

Living Zombies???

We live in a culture that is obsessed with the supernatural, at least at some level. Consider that sheer volume of TV shows focused on “hunting ghosts” or testing stories to see if there is truth to them. It could be mused that our culture is so inundated with fiction and fictitious stories that we do not know what is reality or at the very least a possibility anymore. For example, do ghost exist? What are they? Are they here to hurt us? How many movies prey on our fear of the unknown and try to answer these questions, if only to entertain us with the horrible possibilities.

Or consider the semi-recent fascination with the thought of zombies. Why is our culture so fearful that these creatures of fiction might be in fact a reality that needs to be dealt with, if not now than some time in the future? I have heard some propose that the fear of zombies stem from the unknowns that fill our modern lives; i.e. the unknowns of what is in the food that we eat, or what is in the vaccinations that we take. The idea of something going wrong on a mass level is not so far fetched.

However, let me propose a new thought: what if our culture fears zombies because they in fact are zombies themselves? Consider the definition of zombie “the body of a dead person given the semblance of life, but mute and will-less, by a supernatural force, usually for some evil purpose.” 1 Maybe deep down many feel that this could be said of them, having a semblance of life, without a voice or a will, and deep down at the core they are not…good.

Too many times as Christians we sugar coat the condition of humanity. We act as if there is a strand of morality that runs through us all and that at some level we are decent. But we are not. If one truly looked inside themselves they would have to come to grips with the reality that even at their VERY BEST our motives are evil. The Bible says that even our “righteous acts” are disgusting (Isaiah 64:4).

The understanding of our condition as humans only brings to light the absolute necessity of a Savior. Without Christ we are dead, with Christ we have life. We are evil, but there is one (and only one) who is Good (Matthew 19:17).

Our very nature offends a Holy God, and we will be judged. Christ took that judgement for us and in place gave us His righteousness. But we must first be honest about who we are and repent. Once we then submit to Jesus Christ as Lord we will be given life, and life abundantly (John 10:10).

-Michelle Jackson

1 http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/zombie?s=t

Is Forgiveness Optional?

Matthew 18:21 ESV:

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?”

The topic of Forgiveness is a very hot topic. Humans are sinful, and therefore hurt each other, even those whom they love very much. Because hurting is a part of this Fallen life, the need to forgive is equally important.  People have been exhorted to forgive. Popular psychology tells us that not forgiving others can cause serious health risks to us as well. We all know it is important that we forgive those who have wronged us. We instruct people how good it is to forgive, the benefits that come from forgiving, but as we emphasize its goodness, do we in effect leave the option of not forgiving? Can it be that people who hold grudges because it is “part of their personality” or “who they are” can just be excused away? In essence are we telling people: It’s good to forgive, but if you can’t, well… we wish you the best anyway. But is it really ever optional for the follower of Jesus not to forgive?

The Bible has a lot to say about forgiveness. Expounding on the story of the Unforgiving Servant, found in Matthew 18, I believe Jesus has a different opinion.  Jesus begins, “Therefore the kingdom of heaven may be compared to…” (v.23). Meaning, this is how things work in the kingdom of God.

In the parable, Jesus explains how a king wishes to settle accounts with his servants. There as particular servant who owed an astronomical amount to the king. The amount was so large it would take more than his lifetime to come close to paying in back. Talk about the national debt, this guy had a serious debt problem. The consequences of this debt can be compared to a person who has more than 10 years debt to the IRS.

This man was brought before the king and for whatever reason, the king had compassion on this man. Knowing that this person would never be able to pay back his debt, the king decided to forgive this man’s debt. This man was now cleared.

Later on, this man came across another servant who owed him a good portion. This amount was nowhere near the about that he owed the king. So instead of forgiving this fellow servant, the man got mad, put him in prison, demanding that he stay there until the debt was settled!

Of course this did not go unnoticed by the other servants, so they told the king. And the king was furious! He called this first servant back, the one he had compassion on, and renounced the pardon he had previously given this man! Now this dude was in serious…issues.  He was thrown in maximum security prison, his wages garnished, and family penalized. Jesus concludes by saying, “So also my heavenly Father will do to every one of you, if you do not forgive your brother from your heart.” (v.35).

Forgiveness is Required

For the follower of Jesus Christ, not forgiving is not even an option; it is required. These are strong words but there is a very strong reason why Jesus goes so far as to say if you do not forgive others, God will not forgive you. Our forgiveness of others is directly tied to God’s forgiveness of us. God’s forgiveness of our rebellion, debt, and offense was costly to forgive. It warranted the life of the Son of God! The most precious commodity a person has is their very life. Pastor Mark Driscoll hit on this subject briefly when he explained that if given the choice between one’s life and their possessions they would gladly give up possessions to spare their own life. It is the most valuable thing a person has. Jesus willingly gave up the most valuable gift of all, his life.

Forgiveness based On the Cross

Because our forgiveness was so costly, any kind of discomfort we may feel to forgive another is incomparable to what God did. It is because we have been forgiven that we are to forgive others. To fail to forgive others is a rejection of God’s forgiveness towards us. This then nullifies the deal for us. God’s forgiveness is given, but we forfeit our reception of that forgiveness when we fail to forgive others. We, in a way, repel God’s forgiveness upon us when we do not forgive another from our heart. This forgiveness is not simply us conjuring up some emotion to forgive one who has wronged us. It is reflecting on just how high a price the Cross was, and forgiving out of our reflection upon the Cross. The Cross is the reason we forgive; the Cross is how we can forgive. If Jesus sacrifice means anything to us, we will forgive–we must forgive.

-Enrique G. N. Jackson

Sovereign God

It is I who by my great power and my outstretched arm have made the earth, with the men and animals that are on the earth, and I give it to whomever it seems right to me.

Jeremiah 27:5 ESV

Sovereignty

There really should not be any doubt to the Sovereign Will of the Almighty. Otherwise, he would not be All-Mighty. Why is it that we oftentimes try to make ourselves more that what God has made us to be? What I mean, specifically, is why do we, as humans, think that we can judge and counsel and dictate to God what he does and does not do. Let us just simply receive what he has graciously given to us.

Sovereign Grace

Regarding our very salvation, it is not our own good works that saves us, but us falling upon the free gift that he gives to us (see Ephesians 2:8-9). It is by his own desire to be gracious towards us that we are even accepted by him. He provided his very Son’s sacrifice in our stead, to pay the penalty and extend towards us pardon. We have nothing to boast about, but everything to be thankful about. This attitude of thankfulness needs to permeate all parts of our being. How can we ever doubt God’s affection towards us—he gave his very life for us! And this, while we were still enemies of God (Romans 5:8)!

Sovereign Plan

God, through his Son Jesus, made a way to abolish the wall of hostility between man and God (see Ephesians 2:11-16). God is the Can-do-all being. He decides and things happen. He moves, and events occur. With an understanding of the Sovereign Plan of God, we can rest humbly in the overarching Love of God. He Loves us because he wanted to love us, not because we are such a great people. In fact, Scripture tells us, “In this is love, not that we have loved God but that he loved us and sent his Son to be the propitiation for our sins.” (1 John 4:10) Because he initiated this plan from the beginning, I have the assurance that he is the one to complete his own plan, in which I am now a part.

Sovereign Love

The God of Scripture is above all else, Sovereign. He does what he pleases and what he pleases is good. He defines himself as love (1 John 4:16). What he does is motivated by his love, and his love guides what he does. In his love for justice, evil must be vanquished. In his love for us, that justice must be exacted upon someone. This love was demonstrated by Jesus, who willfully gave himself up as our “propitiation” or substitute to the punishment justice required. And it is because of God’s love that was demonstrated on the Cross, that we can even love God back. Our love, then is a result of his love, and that love is seen by our love for others. (I will expound on that point at a later discussion.)

The Sovereign God, who acts in Sovereign Grace, demonstrating his Sovereign plan, motivated from his Sovereign love is seen throughout the pages of Scripture. May we never forget the immensity of his Sovereignty, lest we diminish the power of such understanding in our own life and practice. Because he is sovereign, we can rest assured.

Sabotaged At The Altar?

“Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
 (Mark 1:14-15 ESV)

Today I was thinking about the attitude of a believer and what God seems to require. I pondered the way the invitation to Jesus is often expressed, and how in many ways, Christian leaders sabotage new believers before they even get started in their faith! How is that, you wonder? Well, in thinking about what is often preached and the invitation that so often is used is, “Accept Jesus as your Savior”, or “Invite Jesus to live in your heart!” However, when one really thinks about this idea, it puts new believers at a disadvantage before they even begin their walk with the LORD Jesus.

Selfish

The first thing that I notice about this method of invitation is the fact that it already puts the individual at a superior position to the Lord of the Universe. Come in to MY life; Come serve ME, Jesus. This attitude already puts the individual in the mindset that Christianity is all about what I can get out of it. It does not let them realize that they are giving up their lives to Jesus. It does not give them the understanding that Salvation is not passive, but active. “Believe in” the Son is the language Mark uses to describe the believer’s process. We do not see, “accept”, “invite”, as the weak appeals that is so often presented. Whereas, elsewhere in Scripture Jesus does tell us to accept His claims, and to allow the church to invite Him in, to the individual the message is more active mentality.  Such as mentality simply holds on the Sin nature: Get God to Service ME. God is Sovereign and draws our hearts toward Him, but we too are responsible, and are called to throw ourselves upon His grace. This is the attitude of repentance that the Bible demands.

Passive

Secondly, the attitude that seems to come with the previously mentioned method of invitation is that it is passive and not active. As mentioned before, the kind of invitation that “invites” Jesus in, or has the individual “accept” Jesus is very passive and does not communicate the requirements of the Gospel. Jesus brought a very simple, yet active message: “Repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15 ESV)

Repentant

Repentance is the act of turning around. In order to turn around one has to take action, make a decision, and follow through on that decision. Repentance is owning the fact that we have rebelled against God, even in the smallest detail, and are actively turning towards God with our will and our faith. Repentance is making the kind of “change of direction” that one’s entire life is effected. It is a change of the very fiber of a person. It is more than just sorrow, but it is godly sorrow that propels change. It means admitting that we are rebellious towards God, acknowledging that really have broken his standards, and humbly seek out forgiveness. This is an action from the inside out. It is repentance.

Believing

Believing in the Gospel, or the Good News, is the action of turning towards God and putting your trust in what he has already done for us. There is an action that is echoed throughout the scriptures of turning towards God. Repentance and belief go hand in hand. All through the Old Testament, the prophets urged the people to forsake their wickedness and to turn towards God (ex. Ezekiel 33:11). Believing is more than just mentally consenting to something; more than just a cordial acknowledgement that something happened. It is the mentality of grabbing a hold of a truth with every fiber of your being, and anchoring your life on that truth. Believing is putting your trust in the truth that affects how you then live your life.

The message of Scripture is all about Jesus, and how the world can receive salvation through the name of Jesus. Salvation comes about when one turns towards God by forsaking their sin and rebellion. It is defecting from being an enemy of God and being accepted by God, not the other way around. We have offended God. He is the Supreme and Holy One, not us. He is the one that extends this invitation to Life to us, not the other way around. The one who does the accepting is the one in Authority. So, the message we should constantly herald is that we come TO God; we surrender ourselves TO Jesus; we put our trust UPON the Lord for our salvation and the rescue of our souls. There is nothing passive or prideful about this. Instead, it is humbling and active. It is throwing ourselves upon the Lord’s Grace by his work on the Cross as our substitution. It is about us being accepted by God because of our active trust in Jesus, the Son. It is the perfect balance of God’s active wooing, and our passionate response by repentance and belief.

-Enrique G. N. Jackson

What’s Your View?

“Paul, a servant of Christ Jesus…” Romans 1:1a

I find it incredible, how this great man of God, this mover-and-shaker, this history-making individual can have such a simple view of himself? In our society today, “Self-Esteem” is a big catch-word. How “high” or “low” a person’s “Self-Esteem” is drastically effects their entire outlook on life and completely defines their existence.

So, what is my “esteem” to be based on? What should my identity be tied to?
It would seem here that Paul’s identity was wrapped up in Jesus. What is he saying here in this simple assessment of himself?
Jesus is his Master. Jesus is Ruler. Jesus is the one who commissioned him for service. Jesus called him. Jesus set him apart. Paul is the willful slave to Jesus. A “servant of Christ Jesus” says a lot.

How do I see myself? Will I choose to be a Servant of Jesus, where I recognize and apply his claim of ownership of my life to my daily living? Will I live as “Property of Jesus Christ”? I want to be known as someone who is defined by his love and devotion to the person, Jesus Christ. How one sees themselves is how they will respond to others. May I act like, respond like, live like a person that “belongs to Jesus Christ” (Romans 1:6).

 

Love Made Tangible

I love this time of year. I spend hours trying to figure out what to get my guys for Christmas. I think of the response of their faces when they open up their gifts, and long to find those gifts that would put them in awe and wonder. I would give anything to make them smile. This year is no different, with the exception that I have the blessing of an added brother joining us this Christmas! One more person to make smile. As I said, I love this time of year! Simply put, the act of giving is a way to make love tangible.

Then today I realized that I had missed something. As is the case so many of the times, in my doing I left the most important thing undone. I have neglected to make the most important person in my life smile. This year I have forgotten to seek out how to make HIM smile. Granted I have not forgotten what this time of year is all about, nor have I stopped my normal daily disciplines. But I have been actively seeking ways to make my guys smile and have neglected to do that for my God.

Do you know that God smiles? Psalms 119:135 states, “Smile on your servant! Teach me your statutes!” But it does not stop there. The literal words used are “Cause your face shine upon your servant!” What an amazing picture that paints of a smile. I want my husbands face to shine upon me as he opens his gifts. I want my sons face to beam a smile. I want my brother to smile. BUT most importantly, I want HIS face to shine upon me.

So, today I challenge anyone who might have spent the time to read this. What have you done today to make HIM smile? What tangible thing have you presented to HIM. What is God’s Christmas gift this year?

The Needed Reminder

1 Corinthians 15:1–4

Now I want to make clear for you,brothers and sisters,the gospel that I preached to you, that you received and on which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold firmly to the message I preached to you – unless you believed in vain. For I passed on to you as of first importancewhat I also received – that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures, and that he was buried, and that he was raisedon the third day according to the scriptures…

It is powerful to realize that there seems to be a need within every believer to be reminded of the gospel, which we have received, in which we stand, and by which we are being saved.

Salvation is a process, not just an event. It is an inauguration, that lives in the process of the “already” and the “not yet”.

Because salvation is a process, that process is shown by how fast I hold on to the word that I received, and stand upon. If I am not holding on, by faith, to that Word, then my “belief” is in vain. The Word has not grabbed a hold of me, therefore I am not truly His.

My life, that bears fruit, is the assurance of my salvation. My salvation is not the result of my works, but is a reaction, or response to the grace that comes alive in me through the blood sacrifice of Christ Jesus. For He died for my sins, in accordance with the Scriptures, was buried and was resurrected on the third day, all in accordance with the Scriptures!

“…in accordance with the Scriptures” (vv. 3,4). Jesus’ life, His death, and His resurrection were confirmed as genuine because it was foretold, occurring in line with what the Scriptures had already said, and by the fact that they happened. He had proof on both sides of His event–before AND after. Already recognized Hebrew Scriptures told what He WOULD do, then history reflected what He DID do! Jesus Christ REALLY died for my sins; REALLY was buried and was raised on the Third Day! Because of what He did, I can live in the Resurrection power of His life.

Too Discouraged to Listen Straight!

Exodus 6:9:

Moses reported this to the Israelites, but they did not listen to him because of their discouragement and cruel bondage

Wow, how true that tends to be in human behavior! It is so easy to become so discouraged when you are in the “thick” of things that when Deliverance is announced, we just don’t seem to hear the news!

But that is why it is so important to remind yourself who really is in charge. This only happens when you live the lifestyle of prayer, knowing you can come to God for anything at all. Several months ago, my Pastor taught on Seven powerful Prayers to pray when going through Seasons of Discouragement. The main theme throughout those seven prayers is to understand that God is bigger than your discouragement. If you do not look to him when you feel most down, you sentence yourself to a dungeon of despair, where your discouragement turns to disillusionment and depression.

So, if you feel discouraged, keep your head up. God is in control. Don’t miss God’s announcement for your deliverance!

Burden-Lite

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and LEARN from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for yours souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” (Matthew 11:28-30)

In his book “The Spirit of the Disciplines”, author Dallas Willard points out, “The secret of the easy yoke is simple, actually. It is the intelligent, informed, unyielding resolve to live as Jesus lived in all aspects of his life, not just in the moment of specific choice or action” (p.10). He makes very valid points about the common practice of Christianity–try to make choices “as Jesus would”, when faced with decisions. The problem with this mindset, the author notes, is that it creates a false sense of security. This thinking makes the believer think “If I face decisions and make them with the Idea–What Would Jesus Do? then I’m living like Christ!’ This is seriously lacking if that is ALL that they do.

The secret to following Jesus is choosing to live ALL of your life like Him, not just when facing certain decisions. It’s much like a young athlete trying to imitate his favorite hero during the game. He tries to move like him, throw like him, run the way he runs, etc. However, if he doesn’t LIVE like that athlete, with the same kind of workouts, drills, eating habits, and resting schedules that the professional athlete subjects himself to, the teenage athlete will never become as good as his hero.

If we are to live like Christ, it can’t be just during “the Game” of life, but must subject ourselves to the same habits that Jesus lived. Jesus was in constant communication with His Father. Jesus Fasted as well. If we do not chose to make Jesus’ habits, our habits, then the Christian life will not only be “Hard” but “impossible”. That is why He said, “COME TO ME…”(Matt. 11:28). We can only live the way He lived if we are in constant contact with Him. THEN His life becomes easy. WHY? Because we are never alone; He carries the yoke WITH us! Now THAT’s awesome!